A Tradition of Public Service

Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP is guided by two principles: excellence in legal work and a belief that the law should serve a socially useful and dynamic purpose.

In that context, the firm endows two public interest law fellowships and sponsors an academic scholarship at Columbia Law School.  Attorneys at the firm are active in academic, community and pro bono activities.  In addition, many of our attorneys regularly participate as speakers and contributors to professional organizations.

Firm Commitments

  • The Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann Public Interest Law Fellowship, Columbia Law School

    BLB&G is committed to fighting discrimination and effecting positive social change.  In support of this commitment, the firm created the Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann Public Interest Law Fellowship at Columbia Law School.  The Fellowship provides Fellows with 100% of the funding needed to make payments on their law school tuition loans so long as such graduates remain in the public interest law field.

  • The BLB&G Fellowship Program, Columbia Law School

    The Fellowship program aligns two of BLB&G’s fundamental core values: a commitment to contributing positively to the communities in which we work and live, and a practice of utilizing litigation for the public good. The program provides the opportunity for a Columbia Law School graduate to work in a litigation role at a public interest organization for two years before joining BLB&G’s world class shareholder rights litigation practice.

  • The Paul M. Bernstein Memorial Scholarship, Columbia Law School

    Paul M. Bernstein was the founding senior partner of the firm.  Mr. Bernstein led a distinguished career as a lawyer and teacher and was deeply committed to the professional and personal development of young lawyers.  The Paul M. Bernstein Memorial Scholarship Fund is a gift of BLB&G and the family and friends of Paul M. Bernstein to Columbia Law School.  Established in 1990, the scholarship is awarded annually to one or more second-year students selected for their academic excellence in their first year, professional responsibility, financial need and contributions to fellow students and the community.

Corporate Sponsorships:

  • Her Justice - New York, NY

    BLB&G is a sponsor of Her Justice, a non-profit organization in New York City dedicated to providing pro bono legal representation to indigent women, principally survivors of intimate partner violence, in connection with the many legal problems they face.  The organization trains and supports the efforts of New York lawyers, typically associates at law firms or in-house counsel, who provide pro bono counsel to these women.  Several members and associates of the firm volunteer their time and energies to help women who need divorces from abusive spouses, or representation on legal issues such as child support, custody and visitation.  To read more about Her Justice and the remarkable services it provides, visit the organization's website at www.herjustice.org.
  • City Year, New York, NY

    BLB&G is an active supporter of City Year New York, a division of AmeriCorps.  The program was founded in 1988 as a means of encouraging young people to devote time to public service and unites a diverse group of volunteers for a demanding year of full-time community service, leadership development and civic engagement.  Through their service, corps members experience a rite of passage that can inspire a lifetime of citizenship and build a stronger democracy.  To read more about City Year and the remarkable work it does, visit the organization's website at www.cityyear.org.

Select Attorney Activities

Virtually all attorneys at the firm are actively involved in community and charitable endeavors and volunteer their services through speaking, writing or providing their time to the legal community.  Set forth below are but a few specific examples:

  • Senior partner Max Berger is a member of the Board of Trustees of Baruch College and a member of Columbia Law School's Dean's Council, the senior alumni advisory group to the law school.  He is also the sole plaintiff lawyer serving on the board of the Columbia Law School Center for Corporate Governance and has taught Profession of Law, an ethics course at Columbia.  In addition, Mr. Berger has endowed the Max W. Berger Pre-Law Program at Baruch College (click here to see brochure); and with his wife, Dale, the Dale and Max Berger Public Interest Law Fellowship at Columbia Law School.